


Seasons

by Library_of_Gage



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, It's Soft, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sort Of, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Video Game Mechanics, but not really, listen it's just really soft y'all, sort of a slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:01:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24292501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Library_of_Gage/pseuds/Library_of_Gage
Summary: Izuku is only going by the old farm to welcome the person who just moved in because he's the mayor's son. Not because he's curious about them. Not at all.(Okay, he definitely is curious, but nobody needs to know that.)
Relationships: Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto
Comments: 54
Kudos: 273





	1. Spring

**Author's Note:**

> This whole au was inspired by the art on this [Tumblr](https://tienwashere.tumblr.com/). The artist's name is Tien and their style is just really soft and wonderful, so please go check them out! I'll link the their Tumblr again in the endnote as well
> 
> Also, please let me know if there is any tag that I missed and I'll be happy to add it

It’s not every day that someone new comes to Pelican Town. The fact that the new arrival is taking over the old farm just outside of town is even more cause for curiosity. But being curious definitely isn’t the reason Izuku is currently carrying a welcome basket down the dirt path that leads to the old farm. He’s just being hospitable, a good neighbor. That’s all. 

Izuku shifts the basket in his arms, glancing down at the spring seeds, jam jars, and various knick-knacks from a few other townspeople. Word travels pretty fast, after all, and when people heard the mayor’s son was going to go welcome the new farmer, they brought things by for him to give.

The farm looks about the same as it always does, save for the grass and rocks being cleared from the dirt just in front of the house. The mailbox’s flag is up, signaling unread letters that hopefully won’t go ignored for too long. Izuku is fairly sure his mother sent a welcome letter inviting the new farmer to the Egg Festival later in the season.

Wood creaks a little under his feet as he steps up the porch. Izuku shifts the basket into one arm and knocks twice on the door, taking a little step back in preparation for it to open. He glances down at the basket again, idly shifting one of the jam jars to the side so a pretty coral isn’t at risk of being broken. 

The door swings open not a second later and Izuku looks up only for his greeting to die in his throat. Nobody told him the new farmer was  _ pretty. _ His hair is pulled back into a braid, the red and white strands overlapping and making Izuku think of the candy canes that are sometimes sold at the Night Market in winter. Just like his hair, his eyes are two colors as well, one grey and one blue, with the skin around his blue eye discolored from a long-ago healed burn scar. 

“Yes?” 

A deep voice, too? That’s just unfair. Izuku ducks his head, hoping his cheeks aren’t burning as brightly as they feel. “Hi! Um, hello, right, I’m Izuku. Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya. The mayor’s son? Which you probably could’ve guessed since you already met my mom earlier. Anyway, well, I wanted to welcome you to Pelican Town! We don’t really get a lot of new people here, so the rest of the town is excited to meet you, too. Um, where was I going with this? Oh! Right! I brought you a welcome basket! It has some stuff from everyone in town, sort of as a way of them saying hello without, well, bombarding you here on the farm.”

Izuku holds the basket out, smiling nervously. The other blinks, slowly looking from him to the basket. “Thanks, I think,” he says, taking it and holding it a little awkwardly. “I’m Shouto Todoroki. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh. Shouto. That’s a really nice name.”

“It’s the only one I’ve ever had.”

A slightly awkward silence settles over them and Izuku bites the inside of his cheek nervously. He shifts in place for a moment before looking up at him. “Um, anyway, if you ever want a tour of the town, I’d be happy to give you one. And I could introduce you to other people, as well. They’re all pretty nice once they get comfortable with a person.”

Shouto nods a little, glancing down at the basket. He frowns slightly and carefully picks up the coral, looking at Izuku with his eyebrows raised. “Why did someone give me a coral?” he asks. 

This is much easier to talk about. “Oh, well, the townsfolk thought it might be helpful if everyone gave you something they liked, so you could get to know us a bit easier. The coral is from Tsuyu. She lives on the beach and tends to collect them a lot. But there’s a rainbow shell in there that’s from Yuuga since he says it’s as beautiful as he thinks you’ll be but I think he was wrong.”

“Are you saying I’m ugly?” Shouto asks. 

Izuku blinks, his eyes widening as he takes a step back and furiously shakes his head. “No! Of course, not! I was saying you’re prettier than the shell!” he explains, his heart leaping into his throat when he realizes what he just said. He slaps a hand over his mouth, staring at Shouto.

Maybe, if he’s lucky, it’ll start to rain and he’ll have an excuse to run back to town and never acknowledge this meeting ever again. He isn’t lucky, though, and there is no rain. Instead, there’s just the slightest upward twitch of Shouto’s lips. “Thanks.”

“R-right, um, sure.”

Shouto sets the coral back down in the basket, looking over the contents once more. “What did you put in here?” he asks. 

Izuku slowly lowers his hand, hesitating before moving a little closer and pulling out fire quartz and an emerald. “These. They’re two of my favorite things. I go exploring in the mines a lot, so I find them pretty often. You don’t have to keep them or anything, though. If you’re ever short on gold, they can be sold at a good price,” he says, glancing up at Shouto with a warm smile as he places them back in the basket.

“I wouldn’t sell them.”

“No?”

“They’re gifts. It would be rude.”

The answer makes Izuku smile a little wider and he nods once in understanding. “I hope you like everything, then. There are several seeds in there, as well, so you can get started on your farm. Parsnips will grow the quickest.”

He watches Shouto pick up one of the seed bags, reading over the instructions on the back before setting it down again. Then, he looks to the patch of dirt in front of the house with a slight frown, like he’s been trying to avoid having to do this. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”

Izuku slowly nods, wondering if maybe he should offer to help Shouto with his first round of crops. But that might come across as offensive, so he doesn’t. “Right, well, feel free to come find me if you ever need anything. I usually spend most days in the mines, but I help Tsuyu on the beach on Tuesdays, Kouji on his ranch on Wednesdays, and Kacchan at the clinic on Fridays. Oh, and I’m usually in the Stardrop Saloon after six,” he explains. 

It might be a little too much information at once. Shouto seems a little overwhelmed, his shoulders tensed slightly and the basket being held closer to his chest. Still, he nods once. “Right. Thank you, Izuku. I’ll be sure to come find you if I need any help.”

It seems as much a dismissal as anything, so Izuku flashes Shouto another warm smile as he steps down off the porch. “I’ll see you later, then, Shouto. Happy farming,” he says, waving to him as he heads back towards the town. 

Once he reaches the small clearing separating the walkway from the main road, Izuku leans against the fence and breathes a sigh of relief. The broken-down bus, the one Aizawa used to drive, is the only witness to the way he crouches down and hides his face in his knees. 

He really, really hopes he didn’t make a fool of himself back there. As the mayor’s son, he’s part of the first impression people get of Pelican Town. It would be a shame if he made a bad one. But it didn’t seem like Shouto was annoyed or unimpressed by him. In fact, if he isn’t absolutely deluding himself, it seemed a little like Shouto liked him. 

Izuku bites his lip to control his smile at the thought. 

* * *

The mines had been particularly aggressive that day. Izuku had gone through his supply of miner’s treats rather quickly and had to leave before he could make it to the 113th level. After so many bats, ghosts, and slimes coming at him, he’s a little scratched up and more than ready to collapse at the Stardrop and eat his weight in katsudon. 

It’s not unusual for the saloon to be crowded around dinner time, so Izuku isn’t surprised to see most of the tables already occupied. None of his friends are there, though, and as much as Izuku likes the other adults in the town, he doesn’t feel like socializing with them right now. So he just smiles, waves at Aizawa and Yamada, and sits at the bar. 

“Rough day at the mines?” Kyouka asks, setting a coaster and a glass of water down in front of him. “You want your usual?”

Izuku smiles gratefully and nods. “That’d be great, thanks,” he says, picking up the glass of water and downing half of it in one sip. 

“Do you not take water with you into the mines?”

The sound of Shouto’s voice makes Izuku choke on the water, setting the glass down and coughing into his elbow. His throat feels raw by the time he’s done and can look up at Shouto. “I ran out today,” he manages, grimacing at how rough his voice is. 

As far as he knows, Shouto hasn’t really left his farm for the past two weeks. A few of the townsfolk have seen him exploring the beach and the forest near Fumikage’s tower, but he hasn’t really come into town, yet. He looks like he’s spent most of his time on the farm, too. There’s smudges of dirt on his cheeks, grass stains on his pants, and a few little pieces of wood and leaves in his hair. Izuku gets the strong urge to reach up and pick them free from his braid but forces it down so he won’t come across as too forward.

“That sounds dangerous,” Shouto says, hesitating before taking the seat next to Izuku. He nods to Kyouka when she sets down a glass of water in front of him as well, and idly drags a finger through the condensation on the side. 

Izuku gets a slight smile and shrugs. “I’m usually more careful. The mines were just a little rough today, is all.” He drinks the rest of his water, and Kyouka refills it almost immediately after he sets it down on the coaster again. “Some days are better than others, you know?”

“I guess so,” Shouto replies. When Izuku looks over at him, he seems a little nervous about something. 

Maybe he doesn’t feel comfortable here in the saloon, surrounded by people he doesn’t know very well. Izuku frowns slightly at the thought and straightens up, about to ask if he’d like to leave when Kyouka comes back and sets bowls of katsudon in front of them. “On the house. Enjoy,” she says, walking back towards the kitchen before either of them can argue. 

Izuku hesitates, glancing over at Shouto only to find him already biting into a piece of chicken. He looks a little relieved and is staring down at his food intently. Maybe he was just hungry? It’s not exactly an answer Izuku is particularly happy with, but it’ll have to do for now. He looks back down at his own bowl of food and starts to dig in. 

For a few minutes, they don’t talk, just enjoy each other’s company while they eat. Izuku is just finishing off the chicken when he hears Shouto set down his fork. “Good, right?” he asks, looking over with a smile. 

“Yes. It’s the best katsudon I’ve had,” Shouto replies, picking up his water and taking a sip. “Though I still prefer soba, I think.”

Izuku can’t help a soft laugh, pushing the now empty bowl away from him so he can prop his elbow on the counter and rest his chin in his hand. “It’s my dad’s recipe. He makes the best katsudon, I think.”

“Your father runs this place?”

“Oh, no, that’s all Kyouka. He just gave her the katsudon recipe after she beat him at the fishing contest last winter.”

Shouto slowly nods in understanding and once again has that nervous look. “I want to give you something,” he finally says. 

“A gift?” Izuku asks.

“Yes,” he replies, pulling his bag into his lap and opening it. Shouto digs through it for a few seconds before carefully pulling out a sunflower. “That lady with the pig was selling stuff and this reminded me of you.”

Izuku stares at the flower with wide eyes, looking from it to Shouto. He gets a huge smile as warmth fills his chest. “Thank you! Sunflowers are actually my favorite,” he says, happily taking the flower when Shouto offers it. He admires the yellow petals for a moment before looking up at Shouto. “I really love this, Shouto.”

“Good. I’m glad you like it.”

The saloon is a little dark, so Izuku isn’t quite certain if he’s actually seeing a slight blush on Shouto’s cheeks or not. Either way, he does seem a little shyer than before, something that Izuku finds endearing. 

* * *

The Flower Dance is Izuku's favorite day of spring, if only because he gets to cover the small clearing in all kinds of flowers and accent them with little gems that he finds in the mines. It's nice to get to show them off and spend the time talking with his parents as they get everything ready. While his father can't do as much to help as he used to, he still takes the time to plan where everything should go and helps that way. 

Izuku doesn't ever dance, though. At least, not the main one that couples do. Ochako used to pull him into the dances before it, making them both dizzy with how much they spun around. And, when he was younger, he'd somehow convince Kacchan to play a weird, dancing version of Simon Says. While those are fun, he can't help wishing someone would ask him to dance one year.

Maybe he's letting his emotions run ahead of his brain, but he's really hoping Shouto comes. Even if they don't end up dancing together, he thinks it would be nice to see Shouto interacting with the rest of the town. And they could talk more, could get to know each other. 

Nine comes around and Izuku is practically bouncing on his feet as he watches people come over on the temporary bridge. They usually hold off from starting until two in the afternoon, that way everyone has time to get things done before joining the party. But hopefully Shouto is the kind of person who arrives on time.

He isn't. Even at half-past one, after they've all been socializing for a few hours, waiting for the last few stragglers, Shouto hasn't shown up. 

"Don't look so upset, Izuku," Ochako teases, playfully poking his side as she holds out a cup of punch to him. This is his fifth one, he thinks, but he takes it anyway and drinks half.

He sighs and looks down at the cup with a slight frown. "I just want to see him socializing is all. He's new to town and I don't want Shouto to feel isolated out there on his farm. Is that really so bad?" he asks. 

"No, of course not. I'm just wondering if maybe you have ulterior motives for wanting him to come."

"Like what?"

"Well, word of him giving you that sunflower at the Stardrop got around pretty fast. Are you sure you aren't just crushing on him?" 

Izuku blinks, his cheeks burning a little at the question. "What? No, of course not. I barely know him, Ochako," he replies.

She just hums softly, smiling knowingly as she looks around. Across the clearing, Tsuyu is listening to Eijirou and Denki talk, nodding along every once in a while. Izuku waits for Ochako to take a sip of her drink before asking, "So you and Tsuyu are going to dance this year, right?"

Hearing her choke on her punch makes Izuku laugh, holding up his hands in defeat when she punches his arm. "Not cool! But, yes, maybe? I want to ask her this year, at least," she admits. 

Izuku checks the time. "I'd do it now. There are only twenty minutes before we start," he points out. 

She blinks and gets a determined look, her cheeks puffing out slightly. Ochako gives Izuku her punch cup and marches over to Tsuyu, looking more like she's going to war than she is going to ask someone out. 

As much as he wishes he wasn't left standing alone like this, Izuku is happy for his friends. He goes back over to the punch table and sets down Ochako's cup, figuring she can get it after they've danced.

As he's starting to fill up his cup once more, already resigning himself to the fate of once again being the person who drinks almost all the punch, someone behind him clears their throat. "Oh, sorry, did you want a cup?" he asks, already grabbing one as he looks up, only to pause.

With as late as he is, Izuku isn't very surprised to see Shouto looking a little disheveled and out of breath. Strands of hair are escaping his braid, there's dirt smudged on his cheeks and clothes once more, and he looks a little flushed from getting over there. 

He looks from Izuku to the punch and then nods. "I would appreciate a cup," he says. 

"You look like you ran here," Izuku tells him, filling a cup and then giving it to him. When Shouto downs it in one go, he takes the cup back and fills it with punch again. "Did you?"

Shouto takes a deep breath and nods. "I lost track of time. Then I got lost trying to find the clearing. I'm glad I made it, though," he replies, glancing around at the other townsfolk. 

"Were you on the farm?" Izuku asks. 

"Is it obvious?"

Izuku can't help a short laugh at the question as he nods. He pulls a handkerchief out of his pockets and steps closer to Shouto, pausing to ask, "Can I?" When Shouto nods, he reaches up and gently wipes the dirt away from his cheeks, smiling brightly once he's gotten it all and has stepped away again. "There, now it's just your clothes."

"Thanks. So, could you explain this flower dance to me?" 

"Oh, sure! We have it every spring, sort of as a way to get together and catch up. The dance itself will usually start at two, at the latest. And normally, when you dance with a person, there's kind of the insinuation that you like them. As a very close friend, at the very least. If you want to dance with someone, you should ask them. But it might be hard getting someone to agree if you haven't talked to many people yet."

He does his best to ignore the way he feels hopeful that Shouto might ask him to dance. After all, as far as he knows, Izuku is the only person Shouto has really talked to in the town, apart from when he's completing tasks people posted on the board outside the grocery store. 

"Are you dancing with anyone?" Shouto asks. 

Izuku shakes his head, looking over with a slight smile. "No, I usually end up watching every year," he replies. 

For a moment, neither of them says anything. Izuku thinks, maybe, it looks like Shouto is trying to work up to asking him something. It's hard to tell, with how subtle his facial expressions are, but he hopes that's what he's seeing. "You don't mind having company this year, then? I don't particularly enjoy dancing myself."

The slight disappointment Izuku feels makes him berate himself. Of course, Shouto doesn't want to dance. Even if he did like it, dancing in front of people that are practically strangers is nerve-wracking. "I'd love the company," Izuku says, smiling up at him. 

Shouto hums softly in agreement, looking away when Inko goes to the middle of the clearing and announces, "Since everyone is here, let's begin the dance! Please line up with your partners."

They watch as the couples form two lines, music starting to softly play. Izuku smiles slightly at seeing Ochako and Tsuyu in the lines, happy that they're getting to dance together. He notices Shouto moving in the corner of his eye and looks over to find him digging in his bag. "Everything okay?"

"Yes. I just remembered I found something for you in the mines the other day," Shouto explains. 

Another gift? Izuku can't help the way his heart skips a beat at the thought, watching excitedly as Shouto finally pulls a gem out of his bag. He immediately recognizes it as an emerald and gets a huge grin, happily taking it when Shouto offers. "You remembered I like these!" he exclaims.

It's not a very big emerald but certainly isn't the smallest one he's ever seen. It's easy to hold and lightweight, too, and Izuku suddenly has the urge to wrap some twine securely around the gem and turn it into a necklace. That might be going a little too far, though. 

"So, you like it?" Shouto asks.

Izuku looks up and nods once. "I really love this, Shouto," he replies, holding the emerald close to his chest. 

He feels an odd sense of deja vu at seeing Shouto's cheeks turn a little pinker. It's probably just because of the sun, though, or maybe Hitoshi managed to spike the punch again like he did last year. Either way, Izuku decides to not let himself read too much into it. 

Shouto clears his throat quietly and looks away again, focusing back on the dancers. "I also had a question about the seeds you gave me. If that's okay to ask," he adds. 

"Oh, of course!"

"Can I plant them all in the same plot, or should I separate them by plant type? Also, what happens to them when the season changes?"

Izuku hums softly, idly playing with the emerald as he thinks of the best way to answer. "Hypothetically, you could put them all on the same plot. I would suggest at least spreading them out, though, just so you can keep track of them easier. And any crops you have will wilt on the first day of summer, which means you'll need to get more seeds specifically for the summer season."

The rest of the dance is spent discussing different strategies for Shouto's farm and all the ways he can increase efficiency. The celebration ends before Izuku even realizes the time has passed, reluctantly wishing Shouto a good night and telling him he should come by the Stardrop so they can talk again. 

If he happens to go searching for a sturdy piece of twine when he gets back to his room, then that's nobody's business. Neither is the fact that he can’t help getting a slight smile at the sight of the emerald hanging from his bedpost.


	2. Summer

It’s two weeks into summer the next time Izuku sees Shouto. He’s walking back into town from Ochako’s shop, having needed to hire her to help fix one of the docks on the beach. As he’s passing by the Community Center, he notices Shouto slipping inside. He pauses, frowning slightly as he watches the door slip shut. 

“This really isn’t any of my business,” Izuku mutters even as he starts to walk over. The building just isn’t very safe, after all. It’s been in a state of ruin for as long as Izuku can remember, the doors locked by his mother after Kouta nearly fell through one of the floorboards while he and Eri were playing inside. 

Surprisingly, the door doesn’t creak when Izuku goes inside. Sunlight is streaming in through the windows, dust mites dancing in the rays, disturbed by his arrival. He can hear someone speaking to the right and quietly walks that way, hoping that Shouto isn’t in any trouble. 

The stairs to the boiler room feel a little unsteady as he walks down them, only stopping once the voice is clear enough to make out words. “I know you need fire quartz, but I haven’t gotten that far in the mines. And I don’t want to give you this one.”

It’s followed by something that sounds like lyrical squeaking. The noise is almost familiar to Izuku and he frowns a little. He pokes his head around the corner, eyes widening when he sees Shouto crouching in front of a little marshmallow shaped blue creature. It’s squeaking up at him, seemingly unaffected by the conflicted frown he has. On the floor next to them is a golden plaque with writing that Izuku can’t make out from this far away. 

“Shouto?” he asks softly, doing his best to not scare either of them. 

It doesn’t work. The little creature jumps in surprise and scurries towards the wall, vanishing into thin air. Shouto sighs and stands up, gently placing the fire quartz back into his bag. “Izuku, what are you doing in here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. You know this building is dangerous, right? There’s a reason it’s usually locked.”

“Your mother unlocked it for me. She wanted to let me explore, I guess.”

Izuku slowly nods and takes a step forward, looking down at the golden plaque. Now that he can actually see it, he can read the lists of “bundles” and the items needed for each one. Two have already been completed. The only one left is a geologist bundle, requiring a frozen tear and fire quartz. 

“What was that thing?” he asks. 

When he looks up, Shouto shrugs slightly in answer. “Fumikage called them Junimo. He said they were forest spirits or something.”

“And they’re making you fill out these bundle things? What for?”

“You can read that?” Shouto asks. 

“Of course, I can. I know how to read, Shouto,” he says, frowning slightly. 

Shouto shakes his head and walks over, looking down at the plaque. “No, that’s not what I meant. This is supposed to be written in a different language. Only people with forest essence, or something, should be able to understand.”

Oh. Izuku hums softly and shrugs once, looking up at Shouto with a slight smile. “I mean, I used to spend all my time in the forest as a kid. Maybe that’s what it is,” he guesses. Either way, that’s not what he wants to focus on right now. “What’s up with the bundles, anyway?”

“If I complete all of them, the building will be repaired,” he explains. He hesitates for a moment before walking over to the stairs. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Izuku follows after him, crossing the hallway to the vault room. He knows what it should look like, with the vault door broken open and the grass poking through the cracks in the floor. Instead, it looks brand new. The vault is in pristine condition, the desk and chair sitting in the middle of the room like they’d never been removed, and filing cabinets once again set up next to the desk. 

“When did this happen?” he asks softly, looking over at Shouto. 

“This was the easiest room to complete. The bundles just cost gold, so I made enough until I could pay all of them.”

“How much did that cost you?”

“Close to fifty thousand, I think.”

Izuku blinks and looks over at Shouto. “Fifty thousand? How’d you raise that much money so quickly?”

“Fishing. A lot of fishing. And foraging.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing the past season? Fishing, foraging, and farming?” Izuku asks. 

“Mostly, yes."

"Why?"

Shouto pauses for a moment, studying him before looking at the vault. "I like it here. It's better than where I came from. If this is a way I can help Pelican Town, then I'm happy to do it," he explains. 

It's not the answer he was expecting, but it makes him smile all the same. Izuku hesitates for a moment, wanting to reach out for Shouto's hand before stopping himself. "Thank you. Is there any way I can help?" he asks. 

"Do you have more fire quartz?" 

"Of course. I have frozen tears, too."

"I'd appreciate it if you could put them into the bundle. I'll find a way to pay you back."

Izuku shakes his head as he walks out of the vault room and starts to look around the Community Center, Shouto following closely after him. He's trying to see what other bundles still need completing. "You don't need to. If this is going to fix up the Center, then I'm happy to help. I'd love if everyone could hang out here again," he replies. 

When he looks up, Shouto has a slight smile and nods once. Izuku feels his heart speed up a little in his chest and wonders if it means anything. 

* * *

Maybe it’s a little self-centered to say, but Izuku’s favorite day of summer is his birthday. When he was younger, it was because of all the gifts he’d get. Now, though, he just enjoys the warm feeling he gets from everyone in town wishing him a happy birthday. Even Fumikage comes down from his tower to do so.

This day, though, Izuku does his best to avoid everyone in the early hours of the morning. He’d spent the past week collecting things for some of the bundles in the Community Center, eager to get the place fixed up as quickly as he could. The idea of getting to see everyone together again, of Eri and Kouta making an absolute mess of the Crafts Room right before pressing their faces against the Fish Tank the way he did with his friends, fills him with even more energy than usual. 

Izuku hums softly to himself as he heads up to the Center, shouldering his bag and enjoying the rare, cool morning breeze that will be replaced by the bright sun by eight. When he gets inside, he sees Shouto over by the fish tank, setting a largemouth bass on the plaque. It glows for a few seconds before the fish disappears completely and a white Junimo appears out of nowhere with a star. 

“Good morning,” he calls, getting a huge grin when Shouto looks up and flashes him a polite smile. “I brought some stuff for several of the rooms.”

The Junimo slowly makes it’s way to the little brick hutch on the other side of the room, disappearing inside a second later. Shouto pushes himself up from the floor and nods. “Thanks. I’m getting through this a lot faster with your help.”

Izuku shrugs as he starts towards the Crafts Room and Pantry. “Some of it would be hard to get without help, I think. I mean, for the Pantry, you don’t have a coop or a barn yet, so the animal products would be nearly impossible until you do. But, for me, it’s not too suspicious to sneak a few things out of the kitchen,” he explains. 

He goes into the Pantry and carefully sets his bag on the floor, kneeling down next to the plaque. Shouto crouches next to him, arms resting on his knees as he watches Izuku pull out two large eggs, a large jug of cow milk, and a large jug of goat milk. “Is this technically stealing from your kitchen?” he asks. 

“No, I don’t think so.”

Shouto hums softly, watching the soft glow of the plaque as Izuku places the items on it one by one. After a few more seconds, he asks, “Today is your birthday, right?”

Izuku glances up with a reassuring smile. “Yes, but don’t feel pressured to get me anything. I don’t really expect gifts anymore,” he explains. Once the last item has been placed on the plaque, Izuku gets up, waits for Shouto to stand, and then walks across the hall into the Crafts Room. There, he pulls out a cave carrot, a red and purple mushroom, and maple syrup. 

“I already got you something, though,” Shouto says. 

This is the third gift and Izuku is really starting to wonder if Shouto is going to give him one every time they see each other. The thought doesn’t bother him as much as it should. In fact, it makes him feel like his stomach is buzzing a little. So far, Shouto’s gifts have all been great, have accidentally been some of Izuku’s favorite things, or show that he listened to Izuku when he mentioned stuff he likes. “Well, if you already have one, there’s no point in letting it go to waste,” he says. 

As Shouto starts to dig in his bag, Izuku sets the last item onto the plaque, watching it disappear. When he looks up again, Shouto is holding out three sunflowers tied together with twine. “These are the best ones I’ve grown,” he says quietly.

Izuku can tell. Somehow, they seem brighter than normal sunflowers, their petals yellower and their stems greener. He almost wonders if they’re real as he reaches out to take them. Even if Shouto has already given him a sunflower before, it feels different this time. These are flowers he grew himself, took the time to nurture and tie together just so he could give them to Izuku. 

He looks up at Shouto, his cheeks hurting with how wide he smiles. “These are amazing. Thank you, Shouto, really. I think this might be the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten,” he admits. 

“It’s nothing, really,” Shouto mumbles, looking away from Izuku as though he’s too bright to focus on for very long. “I’m glad you like them. I was worried they wouldn’t grow in time.” The smile he has is softer than usual, something relaxed and genuine and telling of how proud of himself he is for the gift.

It’s really cute to see and Izuku suddenly has the realization that he wants to see Shouto smiling like that even more. Actually, there’s a lot that Izuku would like to see or do. He wants to find out if Shouto’s hair is as soft as it looks, wants to see how he looks when he’s laughing, wants to know his likes and dislikes, the reason he moved to Pelican Town in the first place, and everything else there is to know. 

Okay, yeah, he’s got a crush. A bad one. The moment he tells Ochako, she’s going to practically crow with delight at being right.

“Do you want to come over?” he suddenly asks. 

Seeing the way Shouto tenses makes Izuku grimace, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from saying anything else that might make him uncomfortable. He braces himself for the rejection, not at all expecting it when Shouto says, “Yeah, sure.”

Izuku blinks, taking a second to process the answer, before smiling brightly once more and nodding as he stands. “Cool! I don’t think either of my parents are home, but it’s not a problem even if they are. You’ve met my mom and my dad is really nice, too. But if you’re uncomfortable being around them, we can always go to my room, instead. It’s a little bit cluttered with all the stuff I’ve collected, but it should be fine, I think. Not that we have to go to my room.”

They’re outside once more by the time Izuku forces himself to stop talking. He’s gripping the sunflowers tightly, holding them close to his chest and trying to ignore the blush he knows he has. “I’m fine around your parents, Izuku. They’re both very kind. Like you,” Shouto tells him.

In an effort to not embarrass himself further, Izuku doesn’t say anything else for the walk. Instead, he admires the sunflowers once more, unable to keep a giddy smile from his face as he does. They’ll go straight into a vase and sit on his desk once he gets into his room. That way Izuku will always get to see them.

As he thought, neither of his parents are home when they get there. Izuku glances at Shouto, trying to see if he can figure out what the other boy is thinking as he looks around the house. “Your home is nice,” he says. 

“Oh, thanks. It’s been passed down from mayor to mayor, so some of the stuff here belonged to past residents,” Izuku explains, walking over to the kitchen. He finds a vase and fills it with water, setting the sunflowers inside.

He gets an idea when he glances at the pantry and lights up. “Oh! There’s something I want you to try,” he says, going over to it and pulling out a small jar. “I found some cactus fruit the other day so I figured I’d make it into jelly.”

Izuku gets a spoon and opens the jar before holding both out to Shouto with a hopeful expression. He seems a little unsure at first. Then, he takes the jar and scoops some of the jelly out. “I thought they were only in the desert,” he says before putting the spoon in his mouth. 

“Oh, yeah, they’re super rare to find outside the Calico Desert and I was really lucky that the traveling merchant was selling them. They’re really good, and I figured that making it into jelly could stretch it out,” he explains. 

He watches as Shouto’s eyes widen slightly, looking down at the jam as though he’s discovered a whole room filled with gold ore. “This is amazing,” he says around the spoon.

Izuku feels his heart swell. He doesn’t even think before saying, “You can have it!” The shocked look he gets is enough to make his palms a little sweaty. “I, um, I mean, if you want. Just, you seem to really like it, and you give me gifts a lot, so this could be my gift to you. Not that you have to take it, or anything, I just figured it might be something you’d like to have.”

Did he totally mess up? Is Shouto gonna feel overwhelmed by the sudden gift and politely decline and then never talk to him again? Okay, maybe that last bit is a little extreme, but Izuku can’t help feeling nervous about it. 

“If you really mean it, then I’d really like to keep this,” Shouto tells him, pulling the spoon out of his mouth. When Izuku nods, he immediately eats another spoonful, smiling at the taste. 

At the sight of that smile, so different from the shy and small ones he’s had before, Izuku knows for sure that he made the right decision. Maybe he’ll get another stroke of luck soon enough and will find more cactus fruit in time to give Shouto another jar for his own birthday.

* * *

“So, explain this one to me again."

Izuku smiles slightly, leaning back on his hands as his legs dangle off the edge of the dock. He's done this every year. When he was younger and never tied his shoes, they'd always end up falling into the water from how excitedly he'd swing his legs as he waited to see the first glow in the ocean. "They're moonlight jellies. They come on the last day of summer and are really pretty. The green one is really rare, but shows up every other year, I think."

Next to him, with his legs folded under him, Shouto hums softly in understanding. 

The rest of the townsfolk are spread across the docks, but somehow the two ended up alone on this one. Izuku has a sneaking suspicion that Ochako had something to do with it if her conspiratorial wink is anything to go by. He isn't going to complain, though. Any chance he has to spend time with Shouto is one he'll gladly take. 

"I've never done anything like this before," Shouto says, his voice a bit quieter now. The lamplight dances across them, making shadows fall over his face and obscure his expression. "I've never felt so comfortable surrounded by so many people before."

Izuku hesitates before moving closer, letting their shoulders just barely brush against each other. "You don't have to tell me, but I'll listen if you want to," he offers. 

He takes a deep breath, rubs the back of his neck, and resolutely fixes his gaze on the waves gently lapping at the posts of the dock. "I inherited the farm from my mother's father even though I don't remember meeting him. My home life was….tense….to say the least. All of my siblings had left besides my sister, my mother had been in a psychiatric ward for years, and my father had too many expectations for me and a short temper. I'm sure you can imagine how that must have been."

It's clear this is hard to talk about and Izuku hesitates before reaching up and placing a hand on Shouto's shoulder. "I know apologies can't change it, but I'm sorry you had to live with that. You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want to," he says gently. 

A shake of Shouto's head has Izuku pulling his hand back, wondering if he's imagining the way Shouto leans into him just the tiniest bit. "No, it's….good to get off my chest. And I trust you, Izuku." A nod and reassuring smile are all he needs to take another deep breath and continue, "Anyway, the last time I saw my mother, she told me about her father passing and leaving the farm to me. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get away and just never deal with another person ever again. It's hard for people to hurt you if you don't even talk to them."

Is that what Shouto had wanted when he first arrived? To be left alone? Izuku grimaces slightly, trying to ignore the little seed of guilt as he remembers how he'd basically just shoved himself into Shouto's life. But, well, Shouto would've told him to back off if he didn't want him around, right? "Do you wish, well, I mean, if you still wanted to be alone and all, you don't have to hang out with me as much as you do. I…. personally I don't think you should be alone. Everybody needs somebody and, if you don't mind me, I like being your somebody. But I also understand that you may not want anyone around, given everything. I can imagine that trusting people can be hard and all."

"I like being with you," Shouto tells him.

It's such a relief to hear that Izuku can't help a slight smile. He hates the idea that he could have, somehow, made Shouto uncomfortable at some point, made him feel like he had to put up with his presence. "Yeah?"

Shouto nods once, frowning slightly in thought. "I'm not sure why, but even when you just showed up on my porch, I couldn't bring myself to tell you to go away. You just seem so sincere. Open, I guess. I feel comfortable because I can always tell what you're thinking. The same goes for Pelican Town in general, I think. Everyone here is so different from the way I grew up thinking people would be. Even if people here don't talk to me much, it doesn't feel hostile, it's only because they still don't know me well."

"If you came into town more often, people would probably talk to you more," Izuku points out, getting a playful grin when he sees Shouto roll his eyes. It's something he's teased him about before and it's likely he won't stop any time soon. "But, seriously, I'm glad you feel comfortable here."

Shouto relaxes a bit, looking over at Izuku. "I'm really glad I came here," he says.

It feels like there's something else Shouto is trying to say, but Izuku can't figure out what. He's too distracted, too lost in the feeling of being frozen in place under Shouto's gaze. Intense might be the closest word he has for what it feels like, but even that doesn't feel quite right. He licks his lips nervously, about to just blurt out the first thing that comes to mind when a gentle light catches his attention. 

Izuku looks out over the water, eyes widening at the soft glow a few yards out. He grabs Shouto's arm and leans close, pointing to the light with a huge grin. "Over there! That's the first jelly," he says, his voice a breathless whisper.

"There's….only one so far," Shouto replies, the words sounding a bit strained for reasons Izuku doesn't understand. 

He shifts a little closer, hugging Shouto's arm without really thinking about it. "Don't worry, there will be more soon. Once they get closer, the glow will light up the docks."

Shouto feels tense for just a moment before relaxing a little. "Okay," he murmurs.

Slowly, more jellies join the first as they float closer to the docks, little ones and big ones circling each other in the water. It's such a pretty dance and, if Izuku had been just a bit more graceful, he'd try to imitate it himself. He used to, as a kid. Used to stand on the very edge of the docks and twirl his way across, his father nearly having a heart attack almost every summer when he just barely managed to catch him before falling into the water. Izuku smiles at the memory and glances up at Shouto to see what he thinks. 

His eyes are wide as he stares down at the water, seeming to lean forward slightly to have a better view. It's probably a good thing Izuku is still hugging his arm, making sure to keep him from falling over. The gentle glow of the jellies bathes Shouto in an almost ethereal light, strands of hair slipping loose from his bun framing his face and making Izuku's heart skip a beat when he's suddenly struck by the realization that Shouto isn't pretty, he's  _ breathtaking. _

As a soft green glow joins the white of the other jellies, Izuku wonders if a crush is supposed to feel this strong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I would like to direct you to check out the art by [Tien](https://tienwashere.tumblr.com/) that inspired this fic. It's absolutely wonderful and the coloring is just awesome


	3. Fall

The first day of fall finds Izuku stepping on every leaf he possibly can, hearing them crunch beneath him as he goes down the path that leads to Shouto’s farm. It’s just past two in the afternoon, which means he’s already gone by the Adventurer’s Guild and scanned over their quest board. Nothing had interested him, but he still wants to go down into the mines anyway. He figures he’ll ask Shouto if he wants to join, since it might be fun to go exploring together. 

When he gets onto the farm, he notices the brand new coop right away. Shouto is sitting on the ground in front of it, panting softly as he holds a baby chick in his hands. His hair is messy, strands falling out of his bun and sticking to his face as he frowns down at the chick. 

“Uh, Shouto? Are you okay?” Izuku asks, walking over and crouching down in front of him. He reaches out, gently taking the chick from his hands and cooing softly at it. “Did you just get her?”

Shouto nods, leaning back a little. “Yeah. I forgot I had the door open, though, so she ran out and I had to catch her,” he explains. 

The image of Shouto running around after the chick makes Izuku grin, looking back up at him as he gently sits on the ground. “Yeah, they do that if there aren’t any fences. What did you name her?”

“Tamago.”

“Seems a bit on the nose, don’t you think?”

Shouto shrugs a little, watching as Izuku gently pets her head before playfully tapping her beak. It makes Tamago chirp in response. “It was the first thing I thought of,” he replies. 

As much as Izuku might have come here to invite Shouto to the mines, he decides that this might be more fun. “Did you get a barn, too, or just the coop for now?” he asks. 

“Just the coop for now. I’ll get a barn next week, maybe.”

“If you do get a barn, then you’ll want only one cow for now. You won’t be able to grow anything in the winter, and it can get expensive to continue buying hay for too many animals. It might be best to plant a huge plot of wheat this season and just keep growing it,” he explains. 

Shouto nods in understanding, takes a deep breath, and pushes himself off the ground. He holds out a hand, helping Izuku up as well before heading over to the coop. “Thanks for the suggestion. I might have gone broke over the winter otherwise,” he says. 

Once inside, Izuku sets Tamago on the ground and lets her continue to explore the area. He looks over to Shouto with a warm smile. “No worries. You’ll want to get a silo to store it all in, too,” he explains. It might fill up a bit quickly, depending on how much wheat Shouto plants over the course of the season, but at least he’ll definitely have enough to get through the winter.

He watches as Shouto crouches next to Tamago and gently pats her head before walking over to the door again. “A silo? Is that something Ochako would build?” he asks, double-checking to make sure the little door is closed and tightly secured. There’s no way Tamago is going to be able to get out again anytime soon. 

“Yeah. She can have it done in about a day, too, if I’m remembering correctly.”

“Okay, good to know.” Shouto stops outside his house, seeming to consider it for a moment before looking over at Izuku. “Would you like to come inside? I recently expanded it, so there’s a kitchen and a second floor now. I can make coffee or something,” he offers. 

“Sure! Can I look around?” Izuku asks, stepping through the door that Shouto holds open.

“Go ahead. I’ll come find you when the coffee is done.”

Izuku nods and heads straight for the stairs. He goes up them to find a small sitting area to his left and a nursery to his right. As weird as it is to see a nursery, he knows it’s just standard when someone expands their house. Still, it makes him think about whether or not Shouto would be good with kids.

It would be cute, he decides, to see Shouto carrying around a child, letting them play with his hair so long as they don’t pull too hard. If they were an energetic kid, it would probably result in Shouto running after them to keep them from getting too hurt, just like he did with the chick. 

“Ah, you found the nursery,” Shouto says, standing in the doorway as though he’d rather not step inside. “I tried to tell Ochako I didn’t need one, but she said it was just a standard addition.”

Izuku nods and sits on one of the small beds next to the crib, smiling at the soft feel of the blanket. “Yeah. Do you think it’ll ever come of use?” he asks curiously. 

After a few seconds, Shouto finally steps inside, walking over to Izuku and sitting next to him. “Maybe. But not anytime soon.”

“Do you like kids?”

“They’re….I can see the appeal. I’m just not sure I’d be a good father, considering the only example I ever had was less than stellar, to say the least.”

Oh, right. Izuku frowns slightly and looks back at the crib. “I don’t think you’ll be like your dad. As much as he wasn’t an example of good parenting, he was an example of bad parenting. You’d know what to avoid because you know how it makes the child feel,” he explains, glancing over at Shouto with a reassuring smile. 

“What about you? Do you want children?”

“Yeah, I do. I like kids, they’re fun and kinda messy and a little too blunt at times but always completely honest with their emotions. If I had a kid, I’d take them out to the forest and let them explore, teach them all about the plants and animals, let them run through the grass and try to climb trees. And I’d tell them all about the fun there is to have in the world, about how nice the ocean feels on a summer day, about the Calico Desert and the rare stuff you can barter for there, about the thrill of fighting skeletons in the mines. And then I’d encourage them to go find their own adventure.”

He stops himself from talking any further, his cheeks warming up as he glances back to Shouto. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble on about it. But, yeah, I want kids,” he says, nervously running his hand through his hair as he looks away again. 

“I think you’d be a good father, Izuku. You’re very caring and compassionate,” Shouto tells him. 

That doesn’t at all help with his blush, only makes it worse, in fact, as he forces out a laugh. “Thanks, Shouto. I’m not sure I’ll be having them anytime soon, though. I’ve grown up with most of the people my age in the town, so I consider them too close to siblings to really like them that way. I guess, since you’re the only person I’m not close to like that, then you’d….”

He trails off, realizing what he was about to say and resolutely shutting his mouth so he doesn’t. Apparently, Shouto might know as well and, instead of letting it drop, gets an amused smile and leans a little closer. “Then I’d what?” he asks.

This is a dangerous situation. Izuku can already feel his nerves amping up a little and if they get too high, he’ll start to ramble. If he starts to ramble, he’s likely to accidentally reveal that he likes Shouto. That could make things awkward between them and he really doesn’t want that. 

So, he doesn’t let it get to that point. Instead, he laughs it off and quickly stands up. “Nevermind that! You said we’d have coffee, right? Let’s go have that coffee. I could really use some,” he says as he quickly heads back towards the stairs. 

He hears soft laughter from behind him and can’t help the tiny smile he gets, his heart skipping a beat and his face burning. But the slight embarrassment is worth it, he decides, if it means he can hear Shouto laugh like that. 

* * *

The next time they meet at the Community Center, it's when they have enough to complete both the Boiler Room and the Pantry bundles. They both stand just inside the door and look at each other for a moment. This won't complete the Center by a long shot, but it's still two rooms being finished at once. 

"Okay, I'll get the Boiler Room and you get the Pantry. We'll meet back here in a few minutes," Izuku says, flashing Shouto a bright grin when he nods in understanding. 

Izuku makes his way to the stairs, going down them and setting his bag next to the plaque when he gets to it. This time, he's completing the adventurer's bundle, the slimes, essences, and bat wings necessary in his bag. He carefully pulls them out, placing each one on the plaque and watching as it starts to glow. Nothing happens once the items disappear and he starts to feel a little disappointed. 

That feeling doesn't last as, not a second later, the room is suddenly filled with Junimo, all of them seemingly dancing around and making happy, excited noises. They all glow for a moment, the light blinding Izuku and making him squeeze his eyes shut until it dies. When he slowly opens his eyes, the Junimo have started to disappear apart from one that's heading up the stairs. Izuku doesn't follow him just yet, instead staring with wide eyes at the completely restored boiler room. 

He never came down to this room much when the Community Center was still open to the town. Usually, the door was closed and only the adults were allowed to go down the stairs. This is his first time seeing it as it once was, and Izuku can't help the smile he gets. Getting to restore this building is something he never thought they'd do, especially with the Joja Mart doing its absolute best to buy the space from the town. 

Once he’s fully taken in the restored room, Izuku climbs back up the stairs, arriving just in time to see the little Junimo carrying a gold star to the mantle above the fireplace. It throws the star, jumping up and down when it lands easily in one of the empty spots, and rushes over to Izuku. It’s making excited noises as it crowds his feet, looking up at him and following when he takes a step back. 

“Aww, you’re so cute,” Izuku says, crouching down and holding his hand out. The Junimo doesn’t hesitate before jumping into his hand and bouncing up and down on his palm. “Just be careful. I don’t want to drop you.”

He starts to gently stroke the top of the Junimo’s head just as there’s a blinding light from the Pantry and another Junimo comes running out towards the little hutch. Shouto follows after it, still blinking away the spots in his vision, and walks over to Izuku. “They let you hold them?” he asks, looking at the Junimo in his hands. 

“Well, this one was just jumping at my feet, so I figured I’d at least try holding it,” he explains, shrugging a little as the Pantry Junimo comes out of the hutch with another star. It repeats the same process as the Boiler Room Junimo, throwing the star at the mantle before rushing over to Shouto. “Go on, try picking it up,”

Shouto looks less than convinced, but sighs and bends down anyway. The Junimo jumps into his hand and runs up his arm, stopping at his shoulder and cuddling into Shouto’s neck. Izuku can’t help laughing at Shouto’s surprised expression but does his best to cover it up, a hand over his mouth and looking away as his shoulders shake. 

“I doubt it’s that funny,” Shouto tells him, his voice sounding annoyed but the slight uptilt of his lips saying otherwise. “We only have a few more left.”

Izuku calms himself down enough to look over at Shouto, going back to idly petting the Junimo content to stay in his hand. “Just the Crafts Room, the Fish Tank, and the Bulletin Board. Then the place should be fixed up, right?” he asks. 

“I believe so, yes.”

“Right. Nearly done, then.” Izuku sighs softly and looks back down at the Junimo, considering it for a moment before glancing up at Shouto. “Are you happy you moved here? I mean, I know you mentioned that you wanted to move here to get away, and all, but Pelican Town can be very different from the city. It can be hard to acclimate, I guess. So, I just wanted to know if you were happy with your decision to come here?” he asks. 

“I am. Farming is….difficult, yes, but it’s not bad. Being here is the most relaxed I’ve felt in a while. Though, I feel like there’s still a lot for me to learn about this place.”

“Like what?”

Shouto hesitates, looking away for a moment and seeming conflicted about whether or not to answer that. “Sometimes, I’ll find something out that just confuses me. Yesterday morning, I got a letter telling me that bouquets were now available for sale at the grocer, which I don’t entirely understand.”

“Oh, well, I can see how that’s confusing,” Izuku says, flashing Shouto a reassuring smile when he meets his eyes. “Bouquets are how you tell a person you like them. It might be a little old-fashioned, but it’s tradition for Pelican Town. When you give a person a bouquet, there’s absolutely no way they could misunderstand your feelings. It’s like asking them to be your significant other without having to deal with the anxiety of verbalizing what you mean.”

“And they’re only available for sale during certain seasons?”

Izuku shakes his head. “No, more like Tensei and Tenya will send that letter around to everyone once they think a couple might be getting together soon. I asked Tenya about it before and he said it was good business practice to put the idea into the minds of people who might have feelings but not realize it, yet. But, if you don’t know about that, I can see how it might be confusing to suddenly get a letter in the mail about bouquets.”

“They sound a little nosy.”

“Well, yes, but also no. I think, with how much they’re fighting against the Joja Mart to keep customers, it makes sense for them to get a leg up like that. If something will keep customers, then I can’t blame them. They already had to reduce prices on their inventory in general.”

Shouto considers this for a moment before nodding. “I suppose you have a point. If Joja Mart is such an issue, why not just petition for it to be shut down. Or for them to move?”

“They’re a huge corporation against a small town. And, you know, they did buy their land through legal means, so it’s not like we’d be able to easily force them out. For now, we kind of just tolerate them and accept that the store provides some of the townspeople with jobs, even if most of us don’t actually shop there unless absolutely necessary.”

“That’s shitty.”

Izuku blinks and laughs. “That’s one way to put it, yes,” he agrees, biting his lip in an attempt to hold back more laughter at Shouto’s confused expression. “I’m sorry. It’s just….you have a way of saying exactly what you mean just when I don’t expect it. And, well, being blunt about it is just more amusing.”

“So, you’re saying that I’m entertaining?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Shouto smiles slightly and nods. “I don’t mind, I think. Your….your laugh is nice. I like to hear it.”

The sudden admission makes Izuku’s cheeks burn slightly and he quickly looks down, hoping his hair is long enough to cover his blush. Now that he’s thinking about it, he’s glad that he hasn’t had a chance to get it cut lately. “I, um, right. Was there anything else that was, you know, confusing you? That I could explain?” he asks, hoping Shouto will accept the change in subject. 

A soft nudge to his arm has Izuku looking up, blinking at the soft expression he has. “Is there someone in town you’d want a bouquet from? Or that you’d give a bouquet to?”

Oh. Izuku can’t actually say that he’d want one from Shouto. That could put too much pressure on him to let Izuku down gently, which would make their friendship really awkward and make Shouto feel the need to avoid him and stay on his farm all the time and never come into town again an-

Izuku quickly looks away, shutting that thought process down as quickly as he can. He can’t lie. That would just make him feel bad, but he can’t tell the whole truth, either. He takes a deep breath. “I mean, there is one person. But I don’t know if they feel the same. And I think I’m too nervous to give anyone a bouquet in general. It’s….a lot of pressure, and I don’t like to make people uncomfortable at all, and giving someone a bouquet they don’t want could make them feel awkward. So, well, as unmistakable a message as the bouquet is, I don’t think I’d be able to give one.”

“And this person, the one you like, if they gave you a bouquet, would you accept it?” Shouto asks. 

Is this his way of deciding to give Izuku a bouquet? Or maybe he’s just curious in a supportive friend way. No matter what the reason, Izuku is going to give him an honest answer. “Yeah, I would. I’d be really, really happy if they gave me a bouquet.”

When he looks up, Shouto has a slight smile. “I hope they do soon,” he says softly. 

“Me, too.”

* * *

"What do you think of the maze?"

Izuku looks over at Fumikage, taking in his serious expression before considering the parts of the maze he can see without actually going inside. The Spirit's Eve festival is just about to start and Izuku has been placed in charge of giving everything a last minute stamp of approval. He hums softly before flashing the wizard a huge grin. "I think it looks great! You didn't make it too scary, right?" he asks. 

The lack of an immediate response makes Izuku a little nervous. "It will not give lasting nightmares," Fumikage finally says, glancing down with a smile that's less reassuring than it's probably intended to be. 

"Well, I guess that's gonna be good enough. Thanks for setting it up, Fumikage."

"Of course. I was happy to be of service."

Fumikage nods once to him before heading over to where Ochako is helping Tenya set up a candy apple display. Izuku watches him go before looking back at the maze entrance and sighing. Hopefully, none of the kids will get too scared going through it. Or the adults, for that matter. 

"Am I too early?" 

Izuku blinks and looks up, smiling brightly at Shouto. His hair is down for once, tucked behind his ears to keep it out of his face. "No, no, of course not. Your hair looks nice, by the way. It's usually pulled back."

He shrugs slightly, looking away from Izuku. It's hard to see what his expression might be, since the only light is coming from the tiny lanterns planted in the grass to make the walkways visible. "I like having it down, too."

"Like I said, it's nice."

Before either of them respond, Eri runs up to them, bouncing slightly with wide eyes and looking from them to the maze. "Izuku! Will you go through the maze with me?" she asks. 

"Why? I thought you wanted to do it by yourself this year," he says. 

She hums and fidgets a bit, her hands clenched into fists in front of her. "But….but Kouta said there were spiders in there! Really big ones that like to eat people!"

"They especially like eating people with white hair!" Kouta exclaims, jumping at Eri from off the path and making her yelp. She latches onto Izuku's leg and pouts at Kouta as he snickers. 

Izuku smiles slightly, reminded a little of himself and Kacchan at that age. He glances up at Shouto and shrugs his shoulders slightly before crouching down to place a hand on Eri's head. "Well, I'm sure Kouta's exaggerating just a little. But, I am pretty good at fighting off monsters. The mines are filled with them, after all. I can protect you if we go through the maze together," he offers. 

"Really?"

"Of course, Eri."

She smiles brightly and throws her arms around Izuku's neck, looking back at Kouta and sticking her tongue out at him. He huffs and crosses his arms. "Whatever. I'm not a baby like Eri, so I can go through it without needing to hold somebody's hand."

"Would you like to come with us, then, Kouta?" Izuku asks him.

He pauses, glancing back at Izuku and Eri, then looking over at Shouto. "Fine. But only if Shouto comes, too. A party of four is stronger than three."

Izuku nods and looks up at Shouto. "Do you want to explore the maze together?" he asks.

"Hmm, I don't know, there are spiders in there that eat people with white hair. I might not be safe," Shouto points out, an overly serious expression on his face. 

Even doing his best to hide his laughter, Izuku isn't able to cover up his shaking shoulders. Eri pulls away slightly, bouncing on her toes as she looks up at Shouto. "Oh, oh, Izuku can protect you, too! Cuz, um, if he carries me on his shoulders, then he can hold your hand and Kouta's, and, and that way he can protect all of us!"

"I don't need Izuku to hold my hand, Eri!"

Shouto pauses at the suggestion and gets a soft smile that makes Izuku's heart flutter with the want to see it more often. "You have a very good point. I don't mind coming, if Izuku is going to protect me."

Before Izuku knows it, he's standing just inside the entrance of the maze, Eri sitting on his shoulders and gripping his hair a little too tightly in her hands. He's doing his best to not think about how Shouto's hand is a little rough from working on the farm but still fits so nicely in his own. Kouta, despite his earlier words, is holding onto his other hand and sporting a pout. "Okay, let's get started then," Izuku says, tilting his head back to look up at Eri and flash her a smile. 

Shouto gently squeezes his hand as they start down one of the pathways, low moaning, creaking, and the sound of animals scurrying through bushes filling the air around them. "Fumikage really went all out," Shouto notes, looking around them curiously. 

"Yeah, he usually does the maze, but he was really excited about doing it this year," Izuku explains. 

"I hear he keeps the man-eating spiders as pets. And he has skeletons in cages up in that weird tower of his," Kouta tells them, his tone confident. 

Izuku winces slightly when Eri grips his hair tighter, but doesn't say anything to her about it. Instead he looks down at Kouta. "Oh? How would you know? Did you go inside Fumikage's tower?" he asks. 

Kouta pauses at this, frowning slightly as they get to a dead end. "Well, no, but it's gotta be true! Why else would he have a whole tower?" he asks, the group turning so they can try a different path. 

"Maybe he needs it to make his potions. And the forest has more magical essence than the town does," Izuku points out. 

"Really? The forest is magic?" Eri asks softly, leaning over Izuku's head so she can look him in the eyes. Her hair falls around them, temporarily blocking his vision, and he laughs softly, blowing a few strands away from his nose. "Does he talk to unicorns or something? What about fairies?"

"The forest is magical. But the magic is in the trees and the grass, not in creatures. Well, I'm sure there are fairies, but that's not the point."

"I saw a fairy once," Shouto says. 

Eri straightens up so suddenly she almost falls off Izuku's shoulders, saved by both her grip on his head and Shouto grabbing her to keep her steady. He makes sure she's settled before taking Izuku's hand once again, apparently not noticing the blush Izuku gets. "Really? You have?" she asks. 

Shouto nods, looking at a plastic skeleton warily for a few moments. "I saw her outside my window in the middle of the night. She did something to my farm and the next morning half the crops had finished growing days before they should have," he explains. 

"Has she come back, yet?" Eri asks.

"No, not yet. But it was very nice of her to do."

"I hope she comes back soon! Maybe she'll bless your crops again."

"Maybe," Shouto agrees, smiling up at Eri.

“Fairies are stupid. It would be cooler if it was a witch or something,” Kouta says. 

Izuku smiles slightly, squeezing Kouta’s hand so he looks up. “You shouldn’t call anything stupid, especially fairies. They’re very vindictive, you know. If they feel offended, they’ll come in the middle of the night and steal your socks.”

He looks unconvinced but doesn’t say anything in response, huffing instead and looking away again. “Oh! Here’s the man-eating spiders!” he exclaims, letting go of Izuku’s hand and running ahead. “I’m fine since my hair isn’t white, but you’re outta luck, I guess!”

The spiders are pretty big, taller than Izuku with their eyes all glowing red in the dark of the maze. As Kouta approaches, the once closest to them rears back and hisses, its front legs lashing out like it’s trying to catch him and pull him close. Kouta stops just short of entering the area they’re crowded around in, his shoulders bunched up high as he falls back on the ground and crawls away. 

“See! They’re scary, Kouta!” Eri calls, holding onto Izuku’s hair tighter. 

Kouta turns around with a slight scowl. “I-I’m not scared! I just thought….you might be, so I’ll help you get through them, too,” he says, hurrying back over to Izuku and Shouto. Once he reaches them, he stands slightly behind Izuku, gripping his leg.

“That’s very considerate of you, Kouta,” Izuku says, getting an amused smile when he looks over at Shouto. “So, any ideas, Shou?”

“We could distract them. Maybe throw a rock, or something, and then run by while they look for it.”

“Great idea!” Izuku hums softly and looks around them, finally spotting a good-sized rock that should make enough noise if he throws it right. “Kouta, can you bring me that one?” he asks, pointing over to it. 

Instead of arguing like Izuku thinks he might, Kouta just nods and picks up the rock, dropping it into Izuku’s hand. He flashes a grateful smile and carefully walks closer, taking note of the way the spiders’ movements look more mechanical up close. Hopefully Fumikage programmed them to follow any movement. 

“Get ready to run along the wall,” he whispers. Izuku waits for nods before tossing the rock across the open space, hearing it land and roll on the other side. Almost immediately, the spiders turn towards the rock and Izuku grabs Kouta’s hand, quickly tugging him and Shouto along to the next walkway. Eri's grip on his hair somehow gets tighter and he does his best to ignore it, knowing she's just scared and trying to hold on.

He sighs with relief once they get to the next path, grinning down at Kouta when he pulls his hand away. “Thanks, I guess,” he says. 

“I should thank you for giving me the rock. It was very helpful,” Izuku says, ruffling Kouta’s hair playfully before starting down the walkway. “I think we should reach the end of the maze soon.”

“What’s at the end?” Shouto asks. 

“The golden pumpkin. It doesn’t really do much but you can sell it for quite a bit of gold,” he explains, looking up and shrugging slightly. 

A gentle tug on his hair has him looking up at Eri. “How come the path ends?” she asks, pointing at the end of the walkway where a hedge is blocking them from going any further. 

Izuku blinks and frowns slightly, letting go of Shouto’s hand so he can move closer. “Huh, this shouldn’t be the end of the path. We’ve tried every other direction,” he says, crossing his arms loosely over his chest as he thinks. 

“Maybe it’s a hidden path,” Shouto suggests, walking up and looking over the hedge. He hums and places his hand on one part, running it along the leaves until it slips through. The hedge itself seems to waver slightly in that spot, the illusion breaking around Shouto’s hand. “Wow, I wonder how long this took to set up.”

“Who cares?! We’re almost at the end!” Kouta says excitedly, running through the hedge illusion and not bothering to wait for Izuku and Shouto to catch up before charging into the tunnel.

When Kouta doesn’t immediately come running back out, Izuku shakes his head fondly and takes Shouto’s hand again, leading the way into the tunnel. Before they step inside, Eri ducks low so she won’t hit her head on the roof of the passage, resting her chin on top of Izuku’s head. The inside of the tunnel has tiny candles planted in the walls to give off a faint light, making it somewhat easier to see. Ahead of them, he can hear Kouta shouting for them to hurry up already. 

Soon enough, they get to the end of the tunnel, entering a small space with a treasure chest in the middle. To their left is a little sign that reads, “EXIT,” next to what must be another illusion of a hedge. Izuku smiles slightly and lets go of Shouto’s hand. “Eri, do you want to help Kouta open the trunk?” he asks, looking up at her. When she nods, he lifts her off his shoulders and sets her on the ground, watching as she runs up to the chest and helps Kouta unlatch it. 

“That was fun,” Shouto says softly, gently brushing their shoulders together as Eri and Kouta light up at seeing the golden pumpkin. 

Izuku nods in agreement, slowly leaning a little closer until their arms are pressed together. “This is only the second year Eri has been allowed to go through the maze. Last year she went through with her dads,” he explains. 

The kids lift the golden pumpkin out of the chest, Kouta holding it high above his head as Eri bounces with excitement. “Let’s go show off!” Kouta says, grinning at her before running through the hedge illusion with Eri right behind him. 

“We should probably leave the maze, too,” Izuku says, stepping towards the exit only for Shouto to grab his hand and gently pull him back. He blinks and looks up at him. “Is something wrong?”

“No, not really. I just wanted to give you something while we’re still alone,” Shouto tells him. Oh. A gift. Izuku smiles and turns to face him, wondering what it’s going to be this time. “Close your eyes.”

That’s new but Izuku doesn’t question it too much. Instead, he just closes his eyes and patiently waits, listening to the faint sounds of the townsfolk outside the maze. He jolts slightly from surprise when he feels Shouto’s fingers brush against his cheek. It’s not what he expected at all but he still finds himself leaning into the touch, smiling reassuringly so he won’t pull away. 

Izuku feels his head being tilted up slightly by Shouto’s other hand, his brain just barely managing to catch up in time to feel Shouto press a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest as Shouto pulls away, opening his eyes to look up at him for some kind of an answer to what just happened. 

Instead of giving him one, Shouto just smiles warmly and takes Izuku’s hand, pulling him towards the exit. “Wait, what….I mean, you just, and then, Shouto did you mean to do that?” he asks as he’s pulled along, his face burning slightly and his lips tingling where Shouto kissed him. 

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“That was your gift, Izuku.”

As disoriented as he feels right now, Izuku still thinks it might be his favorite one yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I will direct all of you to check out the comic that inspired this fic by [Tien](https://tienwashere.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And you can check out my Tumblr [here](https://libraryofgage.tumblr.com/)


	4. Winter

A few days into winter, they still haven’t talked about Shouto kissing him. Not for lack of opportunity, considering they’ve seen each other almost every day of the season so far. With nothing to do on the farm besides care for animals, Shouto has been visiting the town more often. He’s been interacting with the other townsfolk, giving them all things he’d collected over the course of his first year that they mentioned liking in passing. Honestly, Izuku is proud of him for socializing more.

If only that socializing included actually talking to him about the kiss. 

Realistically, Izuku could bring it up as well. But every time he tries, the words get stuck in his throat and he ends up talking about something else. He can’t help feeling nervous about it. That kiss meant something, obviously, and he hopes it meant Shouto likes him. If that’s the case, maybe Shouto has something else planned and Izuku doesn’t want to ruin that. 

Either way, if Shouto did have something planned, he hasn’t done it yet, which brings Izuku right back to the start. 

He sighs, watching his breath frost in the air and dissipate a moment later, as Shouto’s farm comes into view. Just like everything else in the town, it’s covered in a thick blanket of snow. Instead of being inside where it’s warm, Shouto is sitting on his porch, holding a cup of coffee and staring off into the distance. 

Izuku flashes a smile when he looks up to see him, making his way over to the porch and plopping down next to him. “I didn’t expect you to be outside,” he says, gratefully taking the coffee when Shouto offers it. 

“I like being outside in winter. Everything is peaceful,” Shouto explains, watching as Izuku takes a sip before handing the cup back. “Did you come for anything specific?”

“Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go to the Festival of Ice today. But mostly I just wanted to see you.”

“Do we have to go?”

“No, we don’t.”

Shouto studies him for a moment before looking away, a soft smile on his face as he brings the coffee cup to his lips. They sit together in silence, leaning on each other for warmth. It’s nice, and makes Izuku feel relaxed enough to rest his head on Shouto’s shoulder without overthinking the implications.

After a few minutes, Izuku takes a deep breath and pulls away, smiling at Shouto. “I have something for you,” he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring emitting a soft glow. “I found this in the mines yesterday. When you wear it, you’ll always have light to see by. It’s pretty useful at night.”

He holds the ring out for Shouto to take, watching as he inspects it before experimentally slipping it onto his pointer finger. It seems to be a perfect fit. “Thank you. I really appreciate this,” Shouto tells him, looking up at Izuku. He hesitates for a moment before standing up. “Could you wait here for a second?” he asks. 

“Sure. Are you going inside?”

“I just need to grab something.”

Izuku nods once, watching Shouto go inside before looking back at the snow-covered ground. Maybe he’s just going to get more coffee. Or a jacket. Maybe a blanket they could share? Thinking about it too much isn’t going to do him any good when Shouto is going to come out with it in a few minutes, though. So Izuku forces himself to relax and just idly starts to fiddle with his scarf as he waits. 

The door to the cabin opens and closes once more and, when Shouto doesn’t immediately sit down next to him again, Izuku looks up to ask what’s wrong. He pauses when he sees the slightly nervous look and Shouto’s hands behind his back, hiding whatever he brought outside. “Oh, is it a gift?” he asks.

“Sort of, yes,” Shouto says, glancing away.

He looks really nervous, which is weird, considering how confident he usually is in giving gifts. Izuku hums softly and nods, pushing himself up so he can stand in front of Shouto. “You don’t need to worry. I always like your gifts.”

That seems to help a little, since Shouto nods and relaxes slightly. “This one is a little different,” he explains, slowly presenting to Izuku a bouquet. “You don’t have to accept it. I won’t be upset if you didn’t.”

Izuku stares at the flowers for a moment before reaching out and gently taking it. Now that he thinks about it, maybe he should have guessed it would be a bouquet based on Shouto’s behavior. But, well, he wasn’t expecting one. Hoping for one, yes. But not actually expecting to get one anytime soon. 

Has he been silent for too long? He should answer, should tell Shouto that he’s absolutely overjoyed to accept the bouquet. Izuku looks up and finds that speaking is a lot harder than he thought it would be when he meets Shouto’s eyes and sees the slight worry in them. “I wasn’t expecting….well, I’d hoped, I mean, I really wanted you to….just, yes, I mean to say yes, I would love to be your boyfriend. I’m really, really happy that you asked and how long have you had this bouquet because suddenly Ochako’s winking is making a lot more sense.”

“A week or so, I think,” Shouto says. 

Yeah, the winking definitely makes sense now. Izuku can’t find it in himself to care, though. Instead, he just smiles and hugs Shouto tightly, burying his face in the soft material of his sweater. After a brief moment of shock, he feels Shouto hug him back, holding him closer. 

“You know, this is kind of a huge relief. I’ve been freaking out over whether or not you’d actually give me a bouquet after Spirit’s Eve. I’m pretty sure Kacchan was ready to ban me from the clinic with how much I talked his ear off a few days ago.”

He feels Shouto rest his chin on his head and listens to the steady beating of his heart, his smile softening at the sound. “I was trying to find the right time, but just couldn’t. So I figured I’d just give it to you,” he explains. 

Izuku pulls away and looks up at Shouto, considering him for a moment before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Shouto. You make me really happy," he says. He's already decided to place this bouquet next to the sunflowers Shouto gave him for his birthday. They'll look nice together, he thinks. 

"You make me happy, too, Izuku."

* * *

“Who did you get for the Winter Star Feast?”

Izuku pauses, looking up at Shouto from where he’d been staring at the golden plaque on the floor. They’re in the Craft’s Room, about to submit the last item for the last bundle, the one that will complete the Community Center. The crystal fruit is sitting between them on the floor, waiting to be placed on the plaque.

“It’s supposed to be a secret,” Izuku points out, getting a bit of a smile when he sees Shouto’s slight frown. “Why? Are you having trouble figuring out what to get for yours?”

He already knows that Shouto didn’t get him, considering he’d helped his mother pair people up this year. She insisted that it would be too close to favoritism to make things easy on either Izuku or Shouto by pairing them up. Besides, they’d be getting each other gifts anyway. 

Shouto nods once, picking up the crystal fruit like he’s going to place it on the plaque, only to stop and set it down again. As hard as they’ve worked towards completing all of the bundles, it still feels weird to be this close to finishing. “Yes. I’m just not sure what to get them,” he admits.

“Well, everyone put a gift in your welcome basket, remember? Just find the gift they did and get them that.”

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“Not really. I promise, nobody here minds having more than one of their favorite things. I think I’ve got a whole box of emeralds and fire quartz in my closet,” Izuku explains, shrugging a bit. “It’s something that you already know for sure they’ll love, so there’s no point in making things needlessly difficult for yourself.”

Shouto seems to consider this for a moment before looking up at Izuku with a grateful smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Should we put this on the plaque now?” he asks. 

“Yeah, go ahead,” Izuku says, shifting back a bit so Shouto has room to place the fruit on the plaque. He hesitates once more before taking a deep breath and setting it down, waiting for it to disappear before standing. 

Like always, there’s an almost blinding light that’s gone just as quickly as it came, leaving the Craft’s Room in better condition than it ever was. From the common area, Izuku can hear the sound of multiple Junimo bouncing around and cheering. 

Izuku can’t help a grin as he jumps up, grabbing Shouto’s hand and pulling him into the common area. All six stars are above the fireplace now, and the Junimo are all outside their little hutch, getting even more excited when they see Izuku and Shouto. Almost immediately, the two are surrounded and the Junimo’s squeaking sounds a lot like they’re saying goodbye.

“Thank you for fixing up the Community Center,” Izuku says to them, smiling wider when a few hug his ankles. Before he can bend down to pat them on the head, there’s another flash of light. When Izuku has blinked away the spots in his vision, the Junimo hutch is gone and the wooden floor of the Community Center has been entirely repaired. 

The lack of noise suddenly feels deafening and Izuku steps into the space where the hutch used to be, frowning slightly. “Are you okay?” Shouto asks, placing a hand on his back.

Izuku sighs softly and looks up at him. “Yeah, but I’m gonna miss them. They’re really nice, you know?”

“They’re forest spirits, right? Then maybe you’ll get to see them in the forest at some point,” he suggests. 

It makes Izuku feel better and he smiles gratefully up at Shouto. “Yeah, that’s a good point. Either way, I’m just really grateful that they fixed the Community Center. It looks better than I remember,” he says, walking over to the fish tank. “Once, when we were younger, Tsuyu decided to free all the frogs, crabs, and lobsters in here. She got water everywhere and the animals were impossible to catch later.”

“So I’m hearing that we shouldn’t put frogs, lobsters, or crabs in there again,” Shouto jokes, wandering over to the bookshelves on the other side of the room. He looks over them and pauses, pulling one out. “Izuku’s Secret Diary, Kacchan Don’t Read This.”

Izuku’s eyes widen and he whips around, hurrying over to take the book from Shouto only for him to hold it high above his head. “Don’t read that! I didn’t even know it would still be here,” he says, trying to use his grip on Shouto’s shoulder as leverage to grab the diary.

“This says only Kacchan can’t read this. I’m definitely not Kacchan,” Shouto points out, amusement clear in his voice. He manages to open the diary one-handed, using the other on top of Izuku’s head to push him back down. “Dear diary, Mom got elected mayor today and was so happy she cried, which means I cried, too, and then she made katsudon. I asked if we had to share the katsudon with anyone because recently she’s been sharing all of our meals with Mr. Yagi.”

Izuku manages to snatch the diary away, hugging it close to his chest with a triumphant grin. “Ha! Now you can’t read anymore,” he says, moving back when Shouto reaches for it again. 

“But it was so cute,” Shouto tells him, managing to wrap his arms around Izuku’s waist and pulling him closer. “How old were you when you wrote that?”

When it doesn’t seem like Shouto is going to reach for the diary again, Izuku relaxes a bit and leans into him. “Hmm, around nine, I think. But I can’t remember for sure. Honestly, I’m surprised this is still here. I thought it’d been lost.”

“I guess when the Junimo restored everything, that included all these books as well,” Shouto guesses, looking back over at the bookshelf as he rests his head on Izuku’s. “What was that diary doing in here anyway?” he asks.

Izuku hums softly. “Oh, I was hiding it from Kacchan. He kept insisting that I had a crush on Ochako and was gonna use my diary as proof. So I hid it behind the books here so he wouldn’t find it.”

“Did you have a crush on Ochako?”

“No, I had one on Tenya.”

He feels Shouto laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly as he hugs Izuku tighter. “Should I be worried?” he asks jokingly. 

“Yes, absolutely, I’m leaving you for Tenya. He’s a much faster runner. Plus, discounted groceries.”

“You already get discounted groceries, though.”

“Hmm, good point. I suppose I’ll stay with you then.”

Shouto laughs again, pulling away enough to look down at Izuku with a genuine smile. “So, are you going to leave that incriminating evidence here or are you taking it back home?” he asks. 

“Oh, no, I’m showing it to Kacchan so he can know he was wrong,” Izuku replies, pushing up onto the balls of his feet to press a quick kiss to Shouto’s cheek before pulling away completely. “Wanna come watch?”

“Absolutely.”

Izuku grins even wider and takes Shouto’s hand, tugging him out of the Community Center. “All jokes aside, I’m excited for people to notice that it’s all fixed up. I think it’s going to really bring everyone closer together,” he says, making sure the door is shut securely before walking towards the clinic. 

“I have no doubt it will. At the very least, it’s better than letting the Joja Corporation buy the lot,” Shouto replies, frowning slightly at the thought. 

“Yeah, much better.”

Izuku glances up at Shouto and smiles gently, squeezing his hand as they get to the clinic. That’s all to be said on the subject before Izuku is pushing the door open and happily announcing, “Kacchan! It’s time to prove you wrong!”

* * *

It’s very hard to wrap a flower crown without compromising the fairy roses, so Izuku isn’t able to keep it much of a surprise from Eri for long. The moment he stands next to her by the huge tree decorated for the feast, she lights up and starts to bounce excitedly. “Is that for me? Were you my gift giver?” she asks. 

“Yes, I was. I got Fumikage to enchant this, so the roses won’t ever wilt. They can still be squished, though, so be careful,” he explains, setting the crown on her head with a soft smile. 

Eri nods along, nearly making the crown fall off with her excitement. She carefully adjusts it and flashes Izuku a huge grin before hugging him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it, I’ll never take it off!” she says, pulling away and running over to Aizawa and Yamada before Izuku has the chance to respond.

He smiles fondly and stands up straight, noticing Shouto talking to Eijirou before giving him a book. For a second, Eijirou’s smile is just polite as he looks at the back to read the summary. Then, his eyes widen and he gets a huge grin, pulling Shouto into a hug and clapping his back in a way that Izuku knows will leave a bruise. Still, it’s obvious that the gift is something Eijirou loves, otherwise he wouldn’t have been so excited.

Shouto meets Izuku’s eyes and smiles slightly, looking back at Eijirou and saying something that has him laughing, winking conspiratorially, and then pushing Shouto towards Izuku. He has to tucks his hair out of his eyes, looking down at the band on his wrist before apparently deciding to not bother with pulling it back.

“What was that about?” Izuku asks once Shouto gets over to him. 

“The hug or the wink?”

“Well, both.”

Shouto smiles a little and takes Izuku’s hand, tugging him away from the crowded space around the tree and to a quieter spot. “I wasn’t really sure what to get Eijirou, but I remembered him mentioning that he wanted to get stronger. So I asked Fuyumi to send me a few books about workout routines and diets and chose the best one,” he explains. 

“That’s really thoughtful. Does that mean you have extra books at your cottage now?”

“Yes, I have no clue what to do with them. Currently, one is being used to support my wobbly coffee table.”

Izuku snorts at that and shakes his head. “Okay, so what about the wink?” he asks. 

This time, Shouto flushes slightly and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a box with a ribbon wrapped around it. “I asked him to help me with your gift,” he explains, taking Izuku’s hand and placing the box in his palm. 

Oh. Izuku glances up at Shouto, only tugging the ribbon off once he’s nodded. He carefully opens the box and stares down at the various gems, quartz, and other stones set into a gold and silver chain, not entirely sure what to think at first. “Wha….how did you afford this?” he asks, looking up at Shouto with wide eyes. 

“Well, Eijirou was pretty lenient about the price. And I didn’t have to pay for the stones on the bracelet. I just did a lot of mining,” Shouto explains. 

Izuku blinks, looking back down at the bracelet again. He looks over the stones, realizing that all of them can be found in the mines. His eyes catch on a rainbow-colored stone, heart skipping a beat when he realizes it’s a prismatic shard. “I….I don’t know what to say.”

For a second, Shouto doesn’t respond. “Do you not like it?” he finally asks, making Izuku look up to see the unsure expression on his face. He looks ready to take the box back, an apology already seeming to form on his lips. 

That won’t do at all. 

Izuku gently closes the box, placing it in his pocket before grabbing Shouto’s coat and tugging him down into a kiss. Shouto tenses for a second but gets over his surprise quickly, wrapping an arm around Izuku’s waist and cupping his cheek. Kissing Shouto is always so much better than he thought it would be, especially when he gets to push his hand into soft hair, fingers curling around the strands.

He feels like he fits perfectly against Shouto, like they should have been kissing and holding each other close long before this. But that’s fine, because they’re doing those things now and there’s no point in dwelling on the past when the present is so good. But, as much as he’d like to open his mouth when he feels Shouto’s tongue brush against the seam of his lips, he pulls away instead, trying to keep in mind that they’re technically still visible to anyone who might look over. 

Shouto looks just as flushed as he does, both of them pulling in deep breaths of air that are visible when they exhale. “I love your gift, Shouto,” Izuku says softly, smiling up at him. “When did you even have time to get all the stones?”

“At night. After I had the idea, I started going to the mines at night. The ring you gave me was really helpful. I just….you love the mines so much that I thought you’d like keeping a piece of them with you wherever you go. So I asked Eijirou to cut the stones and make the bracelet if I provided him with everything.”

It’s so thoughtful that Izuku is half-tempted to kiss him again. But he’d much rather actually put the bracelet on. He pulls away slightly, taking the box out of his pocket and holding it out to Shouto. “Would you put it on me?” he asks. 

“Of course. It should be pretty sturdy, but if not I’ll ask Eijirou if there’s a better ore to use for the chain,” Shouto says, securing the bracelet clasp. It feels a little heavy, but not in an annoying way. If anything, it’s a reassuring weight. 

Izuku stares down at the bracelet, twisting his wrist so the different gems will catch the light and sparkle. He can’t help a smile and looks back up at Shouto. “I love it. I don’t think you can ever top this as a gift.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“No, it’s a fact.”

Shouto just hums softly, already getting a slightly determined look in his eyes. “I guess we’ll just have to see.”

“Anyway, I have your gift, too.”

He pulls an envelope out of his coat pocket and looks up as he holds it out. Shouto takes it, opening it carefully so it doesn’t tear, and pulls out four pieces of paper. He blinks, flipping through them before looking up at Izuku. “They’re ticket receipts?” he asks. 

Izuku smiles brightly at him and nods. “Yeah! Okay, wait, that sounds confusing, now that I think about it. I thought you might be missing your siblings and your mother, right? So, I reached out to all of them and asked if they’d like to come down and visit for a few days. All of them said yes, so I bought them the tickets, and basically they’re gonna be here the second week of spring so you can get your crops ready the first week and just focus on spending time with them. I know it might not feel like much of a present right now since it’s not something that you can physically hold right now, but I thought it would be something you really liked. And I made sure to say in the letters to not let your father know, so it will be just your siblings and mother. If you’re worried about where they could stay, then there are vacant rooms on the second floor of the Stardrop they can use and Kyouka won’t char-”

He’s cut off by a kiss, his shoulder relaxing slightly as he leans into Shouto and returns it. Izuku tries to follow when he pulls away, only to receive a quick kiss to his forehead instead. He looks up at Shouto, taking in the happy smile and feeling relieved. “Thank you, Izuku. I honestly never would have thought to ask for this,” Shouto tells him. 

“Then it’s a good thing you didn’t need to ask.”

Before Shouto can respond, a snowball hits him in the side of the head, getting snow in his hair and on the shoulder of his jacket. “Hey! Stop being gross and come help me win!” Kouta shouts, grinning at Izuku and Shouto when they look over. 

Katsuki is standing behind him with a similar grin and two more snowballs. “Gonna lose to me again this year, nerd?” he asks.

Izuku blinks and can’t help laughing, looking up at Shouto. “Wanna win a snowball fight?” he asks. 

“Do I get a prize if I do?” 

“Sure. I’ll give you another kiss.”

Shouto gets an amused smile as he nods, stuffing the ticket receipts back into the envelope before putting that away into his pocket. “You ready to eat snow, Katsuki?” he calls, gathering some snow from the ground before heading over. 

The snowball fight quickly becomes an all-out war involving the entire town when one of Kouta’s throws hits Aizawa in the back of the head, which prompts Yamada to throw one back and hit Inko because of his generally terrible aim. From there, the rest of the adults get involved. 

As Izuku ducks a snowball thrown by Denki, he happens to notice Shouto’s genuine, unrestrained smile while passing a snowball along to Eri and helping her aim to hit Katsuki. He’s looking forward to getting to see that smile even more during the new year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading and leaving such nice comments! I really appreciate them and I'm glad this is something y'all enjoyed
> 
> For the final time, you can find the artist who inspired this fic (Tien) [here](https://tienwashere.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And you can find my Tumblr [here](https://libraryofgage.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, the artist's [Tumblr](https://tienwashere.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And, if you'd like to follow me, my [Tumblr](https://libraryofgage.tumblr.com/)


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